1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system, a print preview displaying method and a tangible computer-readable recording medium, for carrying out printing via a server.
2. Description of Related Art
In case that the printing is carried out by using a remotely-situated printer from a local computer, the following method is used. In the method, a file to be printed is transmitted from the local computer to a Web (World Wide Web) server. Then, the Web server creates the print data corresponding to the file and transmits it to an intended printer to instruct the printer to carry out the printing.
For example, a user starts a Web browser in a terminal which the user operates (local computer), and connects the terminal to a Web print application which is installed in the Web server. The terminal which receives the selection of the file (document) to be printed, from the user through the Web browser, transmits the selected file (document) to the Web server in which the Web print application is operated. The Web server which receives the selected file instructs the terminal which the user operates (local computer) to display a print preview on the Web browser displayed on the display unit, and to display a print setting UI (User Interface). When the print setting is changed by using the print setting UI, the print preview is displayed again according to the changed print setting. When the print instruction is received by the Web browser, the Web server transmits the print job to a designated printer.
That is, after the user selects the document on the Web browser, carries out the print setting and confirms the print contents by the print preview, it is possible to carry out the printing by using the designated printer.
However, in case of the Web print application, there are two problems. One problem is that only the stored files can be displayed as the print preview on the Web browser. Therefore, in case that the user prints data which is opened by the desktop application (application program for preparing, editing and displaying the document, or the like), by using a remotely-situated printer via the server, the user must store the file once and select the stored file in the Web browser.
The other problem is that only a file having a file format which is compatible with the Web print application (for example, a PDF (Portable Document Format) file or an XPS (XML Paper Specification) file) can be displayed as the print preview. In case that the file format of the stored file is not compatible with the Web print application, the user is required to change the file format of the stored file to the file format which is compatible with the Web print application by using a conversion program before the Web print application is used.
As a method for solving the above two problems, there is a method in which a printer driver cooperated with the Web print application (cooperation printer driver) is used (Japanese Patent Application Publications No. 2002-333961 and No. 2001-265555). When the printing is carried out by selecting the “cooperation printer driver” from the desktop application in a normal print process, the cooperation printer driver automatically converts the data which is opened by the desktop application, into the data having the file format which is compatible with the Web print application, transmits the converted data to the Web server in which the Web print application is operated, and connects to the Web print application by starting a default Web browser. Then, the print preview is displayed on the Web browser by the process of the Web print application, and the print setting UI is displayed (Japanese Patent Application Publications No. 2002-333961 and No. 2001-265555). Therefore, it is thought that the above two problems are solved.
However, in the above cooperation printer driver, there are some problems. In one problem, in case that the Web print application is started, the Web server obtains the information of the terminal (client terminal) which the user uses and carries out the process for judging the display mode in accordance with the obtained information. Even in case that the Web print application is started by using the cooperation printer driver, it takes time to obtain the above information and to carries out the above process. Therefore, it takes a long time to display the preview and the print setting UI. For example, the server obtains the specification information of the client terminal, judges a display mode which is the most suitable for the client terminal, such as the image resolution of the print setting UI, ON/OFF of the animation display and the like, in accordance with the obtained information, and starts the Web print application in the judged display mode (instructs the client terminal to display the print preview and the print setting UI in the judged display mode).
Further, there is a disadvantage that the user does not recognize the judged display mode until the Web browser is open and the Web print application is started.
In case that a plurality of Web browsers are installed in the client terminal, the cooperation printer driver opens the Web browser which is set as the default. Therefore, in case that the Web browser is opened, when the opened Web browser is not the Web browser which is intended by the user, the user is required to change the default Web browser and to carry out the operation for the printing again from the beginning. Further, incase that the user can freely change the default Web browser, even when the administrator or the like of the network system intends to fix the Web browser to be used for the Web print application to a specific Web browser, the setting of the default Web browser cannot be controlled by the administrator.